Staten Island civic group: Stapleton intersection needs fine-tuning

View full sizeStaten Island Advance/Virginia N. SherryA pedestrian was struck at the intersection of Beach Street and St. Paul's Avenue on Aug. 15, prompting board members of a local civic group, the Mud Lane Society for the Renaissance of Stapleton, to discuss ways to work with the city to make the intersection safer for pedestrians and motorists alike. Cebra Avenue also dead-ends just feet away from the site of this intersection, further complicating matters.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- After a pedestrian was struck by a motorist on Wednesday evening, members of the Mud Lane Society for the Renaissance of Stapleton will be seeking improvements to the oddly-shaped intersection created by the confluence of Beach Street, Cebra Avenue and St. Paul's Avenue in Stapleton.

"What the city needs to do is install a crosswalk button that when activated turns on a pedestrian-only crossing so that people do not have to dodge the flying cars," suggested David Glick, whose home is located at one of the corners in question. Glick added that he and his wife "are always having to dodge cars and often, even buses."

Fellow board member Bethany Dziedzic agrees. "The crossing at St. Paul's and Beach is very dangerous for pedestrians. I walked my son to school at that crossing, and due to the high curbs and shrubbery, it was difficult for cars to see pedestrians. Also, the cross light does not allow people to pass in enough time. When the traffic up Beach Street stops and gives a green light to pedestrians, traffic starts very quickly coming from St. Paul's, and those cars turning down the hill do not see people crossing the street."

Glick said he's often spoken to the pedestrian who was struck on Aug. 15, but was unable to reach out to his family because he didn't know the victim's last name.

Emergency personnel responded to the scene. Glick said it was unclear how seriously the pedestrian was injured but that "he was scared he was going to die and was having difficulty breathing."

Members of the board of the Mud Lane Society plan to discuss a strategy for enlisting the city's help in making the zig-zag intersection safer for both pedestrians and motorists at their next meeting in September.